Miami-Dade officials look for horse slaughterhouses

Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 4:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 4:49 p.m.

HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — State, federal and Miami-Dade County officials have swept into a rural area looking for code violations and any connection to a recent string of grisly horse slaughters.

Miriam Rossi, spokeswoman for Miami-Dade County's Building and Neighborhood Compliance Department, says dozens of officials, including police, moved into the area west of Hialeah Gardens early Tuesday morning.

She says the task force included the United States Department of Agriculture, the state Health Department, county animal services and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.

The effort was intended to crack down on a string of unlicensed slaughterhouses reportedly operating in the area, along with other code violations. Results from the sweep were not immediately available.

<p>HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — State, federal and Miami-Dade County officials have swept into a rural area looking for code violations and any connection to a recent string of grisly horse slaughters.</p><p>Miriam Rossi, spokeswoman for Miami-Dade County's Building and Neighborhood Compliance Department, says dozens of officials, including police, moved into the area west of Hialeah Gardens early Tuesday morning.</p><p>She says the task force included the United States Department of Agriculture, the state Health Department, county animal services and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.</p><p>The effort was intended to crack down on a string of unlicensed slaughterhouses reportedly operating in the area, along with other code violations. Results from the sweep were not immediately available.</p>